Here’s all the important information that you need to know to get you ready for the National Championship game.

#1 South Regional – North Carolina (32-7, ACC Regular Season Champions) vs #1 West Regional – Gonzaga (37-1, WCC Regular Season / Tournament Champions)

Vegas Line: UNC (-1)      Over/Under: 155.5

Covers.com Experts favorites:   Gonzaga (+1 – 59%),   Over (155.5 – 78%)

Lunatic Pool Biggest Fans for Gonzaga (unofficially, of course):

Standard Pool: Martin Poteralski

Upset Pool: Kyle Kelly

Second Chance Pool: Michael Cheung and Patti Carini

Lunatic Pool Biggest Fans for North Carolina (unofficially, of course):

Standard Pool: Lauren Martin

Upset Pool: Greg Williams

Second Chance Pool: Tony Bisese

Gonzaga Roster:

Last Starting Lineup

• G – Nigel Williams-Goss (6’3″ Jr) – 16.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.9 RPG (49.3% FG, 88.4% FT, 36.8% TPG)
  
• G – Josh Perkins (6’3″ Soph) – 8 PPG, 3.1 APG (42% FG, 72.3% FT, 39.5% TPG)
  
• G – Jordan Matthews (6’4″ Sr) – 10.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG (40.8% FG, 74.2% FT, 39.2% TPG)
  
• F – Johnathan Williams (6’9″ Jr) – 10.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG (59.2% FG, 56.3% FT, 40.5% TPG)
  
• C – Przemek Karnowski (7’1″ Sr) – 12.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG (59.7% FG, 58.1% FT)
  

Key Bench Players

• C – Zach Collins (7’0″ Fr) – 10 PPG, 5.9 RPG (65.2% FG, 74.1% FT, 47.6% TPG)
  
• G – Silas Melson (6’4″ Jr) – 7.3 PPG, 1.5 APG (44.9% FG, 84% FT, 38.9% TPG)
  

North Carolina Roster:

Last Starting Lineup

• G – Joel Berry II (6’0″ Jr) – 14.5 PPG, 3.6 APG (42.9% FG, 79.1% FT, 38.7% TPG)
• F – Theo Pinson (6’6″ Jr) – 6.1 PPG, 3.8 APG (39.4% FG, 68.9% FT)
  
• F – Justin Jackson (6’8″ Jr) – 18.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG (44.7% FG, 74.6% FT, 38.2% TPG)
  
• F – Isaiah Hicks (6’9″ Sr) – 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG (57.7% FG, 78.6% FT)
  
• F – Kennedy Meeks (6’10” Sr) – 12.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG (55.5% FG, 63.3% FT)
  

Key Bench Players

• G – Nate Britt (6’1″ Sr) – 4.6 PPG, 2.4 APG (35.4% FG, 73.0% FT, 33.8% TPG)
  
• F – Luke Maye (6’8″ Soph) – 5.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG (48.1% FG, 57.9% FT)
  
• F – Tony Bradley (6’10” Fr) – 7.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG (58.8% FG, 62.1% FT)

Keys to the Game:

• Experience – UNC has been on this stage before.  They know what to expect out of a National Championship game.   They have felt the pressure.   And while you never know what a team is going to do in this situation, you can not underestimate how big of a deal it is to have played in this game before.  These players came back to win this title – this is their chance.
• Can anyone stop Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss?   The Tar Heels play with 4 forwards, which means it likely is up to Joel Berry II, and he is playing on two bad ankles.   It is a tough task to ask to guard Williams-Goss when you are healthy – I am not sure Berry can keep up with him when he is not.
• Can anyone stop UNC’s Justin Jackson?  The same way that UNC might not have an answer for Williams-Goss, Gonzaga might not have an answer for Jackson.   Jackson is an amazing talent that has the ability to shoot outside or drive to the basket.   He will also likely have a size advantage unless Gonzaga decides to bring Williams out to guard him (which will obviously create a bigger mis-match elsewhere). 
• Who wins the lane – this might be the best matchup and most important of the night.   Kennedy Meeks is a beast inside – he carried the Tar Heels against the Ducks by his play inside.   However, Gonzaga has a pair of 7 footers that simply have a lot more size than Meeks is used to going against.   And both Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins are good enough to challenge Meeks for rebounds and post play.   That should be a great battle, because both teams like to go to their star big men.
• Will UNC need to hit free throws to win the game – the Tar Heels are really good at all the intangibles except one – they are not a good free throw shooting team.  That flaw was more than evident in their stunning finish against the Ducks where they missed 4 straight free throws (2 from their best free throw shooter) and still kept the ball out of Oregon’s hands.   With Gonzaga’s big men, it is unlikely that they will be able to get away with missing end-of-game free throws and get the offensive rebound.

It should be a great game tonight – it is such a great storyline.   UNC is trying to win the National Championship that eluded them last year.   Gonzaga have been on a Cinderella journey for the last 20 years, building a program that was a mid-major champion to one that is a National Championship contender.    Gonzaga is no longer a Cinderella – they are a dominant team that has only lost one game all season.   But North Carolina is not going to back down to anyone – they have focused all season to get to this moment.   Should be so much fun!!!!